Graffiti in the former prisons
Ursino Castle, from the stronghold of Frederick II of Swabia to the Civic Museum: a journey lasting 800 years.
27 May 2022 - Categorie: Cultural tourism, Archaeological sites and museums, The places of the heart Tags:
With its silent majesty, this magnificent monument stands in the heart of one of the most important cities of national and international tourism in the wonderful Sicily: Catania. With its shocking historical and architectural importance, you cannot fail to visit this splendid jewel of Sicilian culture, today the Civic Museum, during your holidays in eastern Sicily. You could drop by or organize a day trip having as a starting point one of our luxury villas located in the towns of Acireale, Viagrande, Centuripe, Brucoli, Randazzo and why not? Taormina too.
The Ursino Castle, whose name derives from the Latin Castrum sinus (The Castle of the Gulf), was commissioned by Frederick II of Swabia who had it built between 1239 and 1250. It is assumed that the emperor had it built in as a stronghold as part of a larger coastal defensive project in eastern Sicily. The Latin name of the Castle would derive from this intention, however, considering that the original plans of the 16th and 17th centuries did not foresee the proximity to the sea and that the Ursino castle family lived there in the 13th century, the origin of the name is still somewhat debated today. The manor, after Frederick II, was the stage of some of the most important moments of the Vespers war. In 1295, for example, the Sicilian parliament met there and elected Frederick III as king of Sicily. Passing through Robert of Anjou to the Aragonese to the Viceroys, the Castle gradually changed its role and from a royal residence it gradually became a prison until 1838, as evidenced by the graffiti and inscriptions still visible today and made by the prisoners. It was in that year that the Bourbon government decided to restore it, following the eruption of Etna in 1669 and the earthquake of 1693, recognizing its role as a fortress. It was not until the 1930s and 1980s that the restoration work began for its transformation into a museum.
The Ursino Castle, whose name derives from the Latin Castrum sinus (The Castle of the Gulf), was commissioned by Frederick II of Swabia who had it built between 1239 and 1250. It is assumed that the emperor had it built in as a stronghold as part of a larger coastal defensive project in eastern Sicily. The Latin name of the Castle would derive from this intention, however, considering that the original plans of the 16th and 17th centuries did not foresee the proximity to the sea and that the Ursino castle family lived there in the 13th century, the origin of the name is still somewhat debated today. The manor, after Frederick II, was the stage of some of the most important moments of the Vespers war. In 1295, for example, the Sicilian parliament met there and elected Frederick III as king of Sicily. Passing through Robert of Anjou to the Aragonese to the Viceroys, the Castle gradually changed its role and from a royal residence it gradually became a prison until 1838, as evidenced by the graffiti and inscriptions still visible today and made by the prisoners. It was in that year that the Bourbon government decided to restore it, following the eruption of Etna in 1669 and the earthquake of 1693, recognizing its role as a fortress. It was not until the 1930s and 1980s that the restoration work began for its transformation into a museum.
Graffiti in the former prisons
Interior - Museum
Detail inside
Open every day from 10 in the morning to 7 in the evening, you will make a real journey along 8 centuries within the walls of the Ursino Castle in Catania, a historical and cultural testimony of the various political and economic powers that have marked the history of Sicily and which continues to fascinate thousands of tourists from all over the world every year.
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